Sheet-metal-spinning machine



H. E. TOWNSEND.

-SHEET METAL SPINNING MACHINE. v

APPLICATI ON FILED APR. H; 19]].

- Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

5 suns-sum 1.

ATTORNEYbv H. E. TOWNSEND.

SHEET METAL SPINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR- H. I917.

1,820,993. Patented Nov. 4,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYI H. E TOWNSEND. ,SHEET METAL SPINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION H LED APR. ll. {9U- Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEEI 3.

INVENTOR H. E. TOWNSEND.

SHEET METAL SPINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. IIl I917.

1,320,993.. Patented m. 4, 1919.-

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

III M 1m IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIII INVENTOR ATTORNEY5 Nov. 4, 1919.

-SHEET 5 ll ///////////////////Mr///// 5 SHEETS Patented H. E. TOWNSEND.

SHEET METAL SPINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II. 1917.

' illilliiii INVENTOR 7 ATTORNEYS PATENT @FFJICE.

HARRY E. TOWNSEND, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIGNOR r0 ANCHOR CA]? & CLOSURE CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0 F NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 11919.

' Application filed April 11, 1917 Serial No. 161,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. TOWNSEND, a citizen of'the United States, and a resident of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Sheet-Metal-Spinning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to .sheet metal working .and more specifically automatic metal spinning machine.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a machine for automatically spinning a bead in the side wall of a closure cap.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic bead spinning machineadapted to effect the spinning operation as'rapidly as the caps are delivered from the die press unch. I

A still further 0 ject of the present invention is an automatic machine for spinning sheet metal and comprising a plurality of spinner heads adapted to cooperate in-:

dividually with a rotating forming anvil.

A still further and more specific object of the present invention is the provision of an automaticmachine for spinning ,sheet metal articles and comprising a turret head carrying a plurality of spinning forms adapted to carry articles being Operated upon and to operate On the articles in series whereby a complete rotation of the turret produces as many finished articles as there are spinning forms carried by the turret.

Other and further objects of the present invention will in part be Obvious and will in part be pointed out hereinafter in the specification following by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are represented by like characters throughout the several views thereof.

Figure 1 is a view illustrating the spinning mechanism directly connected with a die press punch. A

' Fig, 2 illustrates the chute leading from the press to the spinning mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the mouth of the chute adjacent the press.

Fig. 4 is a section'on line'H'of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates the disposal Of defective articles. I

J'Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the machine showing one of the spinning form mandrels in section.

to an F 7 is a sectional viewtaken between section lines 77-and 8-8 on Fig. 6.

Flg. 8 is a sectional view taken between the section lines 8'-8 and 9-9 on Fig. 6.

Fig. '9. is a sectional View taken between section lines 99 and 10-10 on Fig. 6'.

Fig. 10 is a 'view looking at the ends of the forming mandrels carried by the turret and showing parts of the mechanism in section.

Fig. 11 is a sectional View taken on sectionlines 11-11 on Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a. perspective view Of the spinning mandrels and relatedmechanism.

Fig. l3 illustrates the relation of parts at the beginning of a spinning operation as one of the spinning mandrels contacts withthe rotating'former or anvil.

Fig.14 illustrates the relation of parts at the end of a spinning operation.

Fig. 15 illustrates a specific form of spinning mandrel and rotating former anvil. This figure also illustrates the action of forming the head on the side of the cap.

' Fig. 16 shows a detail of the counting mechanism and illustrates the operation of the cap count detector when a cap is on the spinning mandrel head.

Fig. 17 is a view similar to'Fig. 16 and illustrating how the cap detector operates to omit counting mandrels which do not carry caps.

Heretofore in the art of forming metal caps adapted to be used as sealing caps more especially for closures of glass con.- tainers and the like, and particularly of the type illustrated in the Hull Patent 'NO. 1,134,067, granted March 30, 1915, it has been the practice to form the cap with substantially straight walls and then subsequently spin a head in the edge of the-cap by a manually controlled spinning mechanism. The difliculty with-this type of procedure resided, in the multiplication of manual operations particularly thenecessity for manually handlin the cap a number of times. A further difiiculty resides in the fact that the spinning operation must be quickly performed in order to be economical and the manual control under conditions of quick operation does not insure uniformity of the product.

v To obviate the foregoing and further difficulties the present invention delivers a completed cap entirely automatically and of spinning forms or. mandrels which have a planetary rotatlve action. Mechanism 1s provided for feeding caps in a continuous series into the path of the rotating spinning mandrels or forms in such manner that as each mandrel passes a definite point in its cycle of operations it engages a cap and carries the same forward through the spinning machine. During the progress of the cap through the spinning mechanism it encounters a rotating formmg tool or anvil which is complemental in configuration to the form of the spinning mandrels whereby the spinning mandrels are male members and the forming anvil the female member, or vice versa as is desired, dependent upon the type of beading being formed in the edge of the cap. The rotating anvil may be yieldingly maintained'in the path of the spinning mandrels by a suitable heavy spring which holds the swinging frame carrying the rotating anvil against a suitable frame stop and permits the anvil to yield outwardly as the forming mandrels passover the anvil. When the completed caps pass the rotating anvil they are carried to a'suitable point in the rotation of the turret where eJector mechanism removes the caps from the spinning mandrels and permits the caps to leave the machine.

It is particularly desirable to maintain .an accurate count of the number of caps being completed and to this end a register of a common Wellknown type, preferably a Veeder counter, is mounted with the actuating wheel for the counter adjacent the path of the ends of the spinning mandrels. The spinning mandrel shafts are provided at their center with a pushrod of sligthlygreater length than the mandrel shaft so that when a cap is picked up by a mandrel the push rod is forced lengthwise and extends a short distance from the opposite end of the mandrel shaft and into a path which intersects the spoke of the counter wheel. In View of this fact each time a shaft carrying a mandrel that bears a cap passes the counter wheel a count of one cap is registered. In order to prevent a false count and to insure that only the actual number of caps being spun are counted, a spring finger is provided which tests each push rod prior to its reaching the counter wheel. Where a cap is on the former mandrel the spring finger pushes the rod against the cap but no farther. Where no cap is on the former the spring finger pushes the push rod inwardly and out of the path of the operating wheel on the counter so that when such empty mandrel shaft passes the counter no count is registered.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, a die press 1 of the usual construction is illustrated more or'less diagrammatically since the die press er 86 does not form a distinct portion of t e said invention. This die press 1 forms the closure cap 2 from sheet metal and the caps fall into an outwardly and upwardly inclined apron 4. In order to prevent the cap from tipping over and cloggingthe chute a guiding plate 5 is pivoted upon a suitable support rod and is lightly held in the desired position by means of a coiled spring 7. The function of these elements is to change the position of the cap from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position.

A side plate 8 is provided opposite the apron 4 and carries a track 9. A grooved lower track 10 extends in an inclined direction from the side plate 8 and is provided with an open space as at 11 to permit caps having defective crowns to fall from the chute. A delivery chute 12 comprises a continuation of the lower track 10. An upper guide rail 14 is adjustably mounted by means of the thumb screws 15 and slots 16 to the side plate 8 and the delivery chute 12. No side plates are provided between the lower track 10 and the upper guide rail 14 but on the contrary an open space is provided between these members to enable defective caps, such as 17, Fig. 5, to fall sidewise out of the chute. The delivery chute 12 is curved at its lower end, as at 18, and is provided with a bulge 19.' A guide finger 20 is provided above the bulge portion 19 and a spring clip stop 21 is; provided slightly below the bulge. stop also carries a side guide plate 22. The spring clip stop preferably is mounted upon a slotted plate 24E which is adjustable by means of a thumb screw 25 and the slots 26. The delivery chute 12 adjacent its lower end is provided with an opening through which extends a lightly spring pressed guide plate 27. It is the function of the bulge portion 19, the guide finger. 20, and the side guide plate 22, to deliver a cap to the spring clip stop 21 in an inclined diagonal position (see Fig. 11) so that only the forward edge of the cap will be in the path of a forming mandrel when the rotation of the turret brings the mandrel through the delivery end of the chute, as will be more fully de scribed hereinafter.

This spring clip Referring now more particularly to Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, the spinning mechanism proper will be described. The power or belt wheel 28 is mounted upon the main drive shaft .A which extends through the and. carries an intermediate drive gear 34 shafts F, in the present case four.

which meshes with an idler cog gear 35 mounted upon a stub shaft D. This idler cog gear transmits power to a gear 86 which is suitably secured by drive pins 37 with the tubular extension E in the mandrel drive gear 38. The turret 39 is keyed to the turret shaft 0 and carries a plurality of mandrel Each turret shaft has keyed thereon mandrel pinions 40 which mesh with the mandrel drive gear 38. By inspection of Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive it will be noted that as the turret 39 is rotated in" counter-clockwise directien the turret driving mandrel/gear 38 .is rotated in a clockwise direction. This fact imparts a relatively high speed of rotation to the mandrel pinions 40 and the mandrel shafts F. Each mandrel shaft preferably is formed with a shoulder 41 adjacent which is a screw threaded portion 42 adapted to carry the mandrel former heads 44. In the present case these former heads are shown as provided with a male band or rib 45.

Push rods 46-are mounted at substantially the center of each mandrel shaft F and are provided preferably with a U-shaped spring 47' which establishes sufiicien-t friction to cause the push rods to remain in any set position until positively displaced from such position. As will be noted from Figs. 6, l6, and 17, the'pus'h rods 46 are slightly longer than the mandrelshafts F, and constitute detecting devices as hereinafter described.

The main drive shaft A at substantially the mid portion of the machine frame carries an anvil driving gear 48 which meshes with the gear 49 on the anvil or forming.

tool shaft G. This shaft G is mounted in a bearing in the arm 50 which is mounted for rotation about the main drive shaft A. A relatively heavy coiled spring-51 normally maintains the arm 50 against the stop 52.

When the arm is in this position the rotating anvil or former 54 is within the path of the former heads. 42. This rotating anvil 54 comprises a roller including a groove 55- I comprising the female memberof the spinning rolls, or as has been explained if dea pedestal 58 whereby the spokes of the operating wheel 59 will be adjacent the ends of the mandrel shafts F. When a cap 2 is carried from under the spring clip stop 21 by a mandrel the movement of the cap past the guide plate 27 straightens the cap relatively to the mandrel and pushes the push rod inwardly. As the turret further revolves the inwardly extending end of the push rod engages an arm or spoke in'the operating wheel 59 and registers. In order to prevent inaccurate registry a spring arm 60 is mounted upon a pedestal 61 in such manner as to be within the path of the ends of the push rods 46 and exerts an endwise pressureon such rods as they pass the projection 62 on the end of the spring arm 60..

If a cap is in position on the mandrel (see (Fig. 16) the spring 64 is flexed and the push rod remains with the end in the path of the operating wheel 59. If the mandrel head is empty (see Fig. 17) .the spring 64 is of sufficient strength to overcome the friction of the u-sha'ped spring 47 thereby pushing the push rod inwardly and out of the path which intersects the spokes of the operating wheel 59. The supporting disk 56 is so positioned adjacent the point where the spring arm is eifective as to prevent the said spring arm from pushing caps 2 from the mandrel heads. After a mandrel head passes the rotating anvil 54 the cap is maintained in position on the head 'by means of a guide, plate 66 secured beneath the delivery chute j 67. A guide cam- 68 is provided opposite the delivery chute and raises the cap 2 level with the wall of the delivery chute so that the cap comes under the directin arm 69 carried bythe upper part of the elivery chute.

Adjacent this point in the travel of the turret an ejector cam 7 0 comprising a plate 71 secured to the main frame forcibly moves the push rods 46' outwardly thereby ejecting the finished cap from the former head and permitting the cap to slide down the delivery chute of the machine.

Realizing that my invention is capable of v embodiment in structures other than that specifically disclosed herewith I desire that the herein disclosed structure be considered as illustrative and not in the limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, in coma cap carrying mandrel, a cap carrying man-' drel being provided With a' forming member, an anvil in the path of the cap carrying mandrel and being form" nlemental to the cap carrying mandrel w nereby the mandrel and the anvil are adapted to spin a bead on aid cap, a counting mechanism controlled by a cap, and delivery mechanism effective to cause operation of the counting mechanism and to deliver the finished caps from the machine.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, cap feeding means to present a cap in an inclined angular position in'the path of a forming mandrel, a forming mandrel adapted to engage the forward edge of the positioned cap, means to move said mandrel'to carry said cap forward, an anvil in the path of said mandrel and adapted to cooperate With said mandrel to spin a bead upon said cap, and delivery mechanism including means to remove said cap from said mandrel. I

3. In a machine of the character described, in combination, cap feeding means including separate inclined rails adapted to transmit a complete cap only, a cap carrying 'mandrel adapted to receive a cap from said feeding means, an anvll cooperating With said mandrel to form a bead upon the'cap on the mandrel, and delivery mechanism for removing the cap from said mandrel.

4:. In a machine of the character de scribed, cap feeding means comprising devices to turn acap through substantially ninety degrees from an inclined horizontal position to a vertical position whereby said cap is fed edgewise to a spinning mechanism, a spinning mechanism comprising a cap carrying mandrel, an anvil adapted to cooperate with said cap carrying mandrel to form a bead in the edge of said cap, and delivery mechanism for delivering said caps from said machine.

5. In a machine of the character described, in combination, cap feeding means adaptable to supply caps to a spinningmechanism, said. spinning mechanismv comprising acap carrying rotatable mandrel, an anvil adaptable to cooperate With said mandrel to form a bead upon th cap on the mandrel,

and means for .carrying said mandrel into and out of engagement with said anvil.

6. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a rotatable cap carrying mandrel, means to cause said mandrel to have a continuous planetary movement, an anvil adapted to cooperate with said mandrel to.

form a bead on the ca on the mandrel, substantially as described? 7. In a machine. of the class described, in combination, a rotating mandrel adapted to carry a cap, a continuously rotating turret carrying said mandrel, means for rotating said mandrel, and an anvil adapted to cosaid mandrel to form a bead in the edge of the cap carried respectively by each mandrel head.

9. In a device ofthe character described, in combination, a turret, a plurality of mandrel shafts carried 'by said turret, gearing to continuously rotate said turret in one direction, a mandrel forming head carried by each mandrel shaft, means rotating in the opposite direct-ion to the rotation of said turret'to cause said mandrel heads to have a planetary mov'einent, an anvil in the path of said mandrel heads and adapted to co-" operate with said mandrel heads to form beads in the skirts of caps carried'by the mandrel heads.

10. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a turret shaft supporting a turret, said turret shaft being continuously rotatable in one direction, a plurality of mandrel shafts carried by'said turret, mandrel heads on one end of said mandrel shafts and gear Wheels on the other end of said mandrel shafts, a mandreldriving gear rotatably mounted on the turret shaft and in engagement With each mandrel shaft gear, means to rotate said mandrel driving gear in the direction opposite to the rotation of said turret, and an anvil in the path of said mandrel heads and cooperating therewith to form beads on the cap carried by said man" drel heads.

11; In a device of the class described, in combination, a mandrel head arranged for rotativ'e and continuous planetary movement, means to feed caps to said rotating mandrel head, and a positively driven anvil adapted to cooperate with said mandrel to form a bead in the skirt of acap carried by said mandrel.

12. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a continously rotating turret,

a plurality of mandrel heads rotatably mounted on said turret, a rotating anvil .tate said turret, means to continuously r0- tate said mandrel heads, and a rotating anvil in the path of said mandrel heads and adapted to cooperate With said mandrel heads to form beads on caps carried by the mandrel heads.

14L. In a device of the class described, in combination, a continuously rotating turret, a plurality of mandrels mounted upon said turret, means to feed caps to said mandrels, and a driven forming member to whose operation said mandrels are presented during a portion of therotation of said turret,

15. In a device of the class described, mandrel heads adapted to carry caps, a rotating anvil mounted in the path of said mandrel heads, means to move said mandrel heads past said rotating anvil by a continuous movement, and yieldable devices provided to enable said anvil to maintain a yielding engagement with said mandrels duri ilig the passage of the mandrel past the anvl 16. In a' device of the character described the combination of a plurality of mandrels adaptedto carrv caps, and a rotating anvil yieldingly mounted 'in the path of said mandrels whereby said anvil is adapted to maintain a yielding pressure on the skirt of a cap carried by one of said mandrels during 'the passage of the mandrel past the anvil.

17. In a machine of the character de scribed, the combination of a continuously rotating turret, 'a plurality of mandrel shafts mounted upon said turret, a mandrel head upon each mandrel shaft, devices to rotate said mandrel shafts, means to rotate said turret, a rotating anvil in the path of said mandrel heads, a support for said anvil comprising a bracket radially mounted relative to the drive mechanism for said anvil, and a spring constructed to yieldingly maintain the work face of the anvil in the path of the mandrel heads.

18. A machine of the class described, comprising in combination, a turret, a plurality of mandrel shafts carried by said turret, a mandrel head in each mandrel shaft, means to rotate'said turret to revolve said mandrel heads in a. common orbit, feed mechanism constructed to feed a cap partly across the orbit of the mandrel heads as each head passes a predetermined point inthe rotation of the turret, formin mechanism arranged for cooperation with said mandrel heads to form a bead on the skirt of each cap during the rotation of the turret, and means whereby the caps are ejected from the machine. I

19. In a machine of the character described comprising .a plurality of forming mandrels, means to move said mandrels past a delivery chute, push rod carried with and extending through said-mandrels, and means to move said push rodsendwise to project' through the mandrels whenthe mandrels are opposite the delivery'chute.

20. In a machine 'of the character described, -a plurality of forming mandrels, a

carried by said mandrels, said ejecting devices comprising push rods movable with said mandrels, and means to move said;

push rods endwise when said mandrels are opposite the delivery chute.

21. In a device of the character described, in combination, a plurality of mandrel heads adapted to carry caps, -a delivery chute, means to position said caps opposite said ,delivery. chute, a guide finger adapted to prevent said caps from falling from said delivery chute, push rods extending through said mandrels, and means to operate said push rods to eject said caps from saidmandrels after the upper portion of said caps has passed under said finger. I l

22. In a device of the character described, in combination, a plurality of forming mandrels, mandrel shafts carrying said man-' vices to feed ca-ps'to said mandrels during a portion of said planetary movement, and means to eject caps from said mandrels during another portion of said planetary movement, said ejecting means comprising push rods mounted within said mandrel shafts and substantially concentric therewith, and means to move said push rods endwise when said mandrels have reached a predetermined position in said planetary movement.

23. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a plurality of mandrels, mandrel shafts carrying said mandrels, a turret supporting said mandrel shafts, a substantially horizontal shaft carrying said turret, feeding means adapted to feed caps to said mandrels whereby said caps are slightly inclined to the path of rotation ofsaid niandrel heads with the leading edge ofsaid caps in the path of the mandrel heads, a rotating anvil in the path of said mandrel heads, a resilient mount for said anvil whereby said "anvil may yield while cooperating with a mandrel to form a bead on a'cap, and means for ejecting caps from said mandrels when the mandrel head passes:

a predetermined point during the rotation of the said turret.

24. In a spinning machine the combina-- and operable to form a metal cap thereon,

and a detecting device disposed for operatiVe association with a cap carried on the mandrel.

26. In a metal spinning machine, the combination of a turret member, spinning mandrels carried on said turret member, means for moving said turret member to change the position of said mandrels, means arranged'to cooperate-with said mandrels to spin caps thereon, and detecting devices ar ranged for operative association with caps formed on the mandrels,

27. In a device of the character described, the combination of a bodily movable cap carrying mandrel, means for revolving said mandrel in an orbit, means for guiding a cap across the path of said mandrel, andmeans for detaining a cap with its forward portion in'the path of the mandrel, whereby the latter may engage it to carry it forward from said detaining means. v 28. In a metal spinning machine, the combination of a spinning mandrel arranged for. planetary movement, means for revolving said mandrel continuously in an orbit, means for guiding a cap into the orbit of the mandrel, and means for detaining a cap with a portion thereof in the path of the mandrel.

29. In a metal. spinning machine, the coinbination of av spinning mandrel arranged for planetary movement, means for revolving path of the mandrel.

saidmandrel continuously in an orbit, means for; guiding a cap into the orbit of the mandrel, and means forreleasably detaining a cap with a portion thereof in the 30. In a metal spinning macliine, the combination of a spinning mandrel arranged ing a cap with a portion thereof in the path for planetary movement, means for revolving said mandrel continuously inan orbit, means for guiding a cap into the orbit of the mandrel, means. for releasably detainof the mandrel, whereby the mandrel may engage it to carry it forward in its-planetary movement, and means disposed for I f cooperation with said mandrel to spin a bead (in {It portion of acap carried on the man- '31. In a metal spinning machine, (the combination of a spinning mandrel, means for revolving said mandrel in an orbit, a conveyer device for conducting-caps to the orbit of the mandrel, and means for detaining the foremost cap. in said conveyer de-' vice with a portion thereof in the path of the mandrel whereby it may be engaged by the latter" and carried forward in its planetary movement. r a

' 32. In a metal spinning machine, the com- -bination of a spinning mandrel, means for revolving said mandrel in an orbit, a con-' veyer device for conducting caps to the orbit of the mandrel, means for detaining the foremost cap in said conveyer device 'bination, a plurality of spinning mandrels,

means for moving said mandrels continuously in a given forbit, a conveying device arranged to conduct capsto' the orbit of said mandrels, and means associated with said conveying device adapted to detain the foremost cap with a portion thereof in the path of a mandrel.

34. In a metal spinning machine, in combination, a plurality of spinning mandrels, means for moving said mandrels continuously in a given orbit, a conveying device arranged to'conduct caps. to the orbit of said mandrels, means associated with said conveying device adapted to detain the foremost cap with ,a-portion thereof in the path of a mandrel, and a forming device disposed to cooperate with said mandrels at a portion of their orbit to form portions of caps carried by said mandrels.

35. In a metal spinning machine in combination a forming mandrel, means for giv ing said mandrel orbital movement, means for detaining a cap in the path of the mandrel whereby it may be engaged there to be carried forward in its orbital movement,

andmeans for conducting capssuccessively .to said detaining devlce.

36. In a metal spinning machlne 1n combination a plurality of forming mandrels, means for imparting orbital movement to said m'andrels, a detaining device disposed to support a cap-in the path of. said mandrels whereby it may be engaged by a mandrel to be carried forward in the orbital /.movement thereof, and means for conduct- .ing caps successively to said detaining dev ce.

37. In a metal spinning machine in combination a plurality of forming mandrels,

means for imparting orbital movement to' said mandrels, a detaining device disposed to support a cap in'the path of said mandrels whereby it may be engaged by a man- 'drel to be carriedforward '.in the orbital movement thereof, means for conducting caps successively .to sa d detalning device,

and a forming means disposed for cooperationwith said mandrels at a point in their orbit to form portions of caps carried by them.

38. In a metal spinning machine, the combinationof-a mandrel, means for imparting 'orbital movement to said mandrel, means for releasably supporting a cap with a portion thereof .in the path of said mandrel whereby it may be engaged'by the latter and carried forward in the orbital movement, and means disposed for cooperation With said mandrel at a point in its orbit to form a portion of the cap carried by the mandrel.

3-9. In a spinning machine, in combination, a cap carrying mandrel, a forming device arranged to cooperate therewith to form a portion of a cap carried by the mandrel, means for moving the mandrel into 10 eration of the counting mechanism and to 15 discharge a cap from the mandrel.

HARRY E. TOWNSEND. 

